Page 48 of Dan.
Andries rears back as if he’s been slapped. “That’s a new low, Roxanne. I just wanted to go check out the villa. It’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful places on the entire island and looks very photogenic, that’s all.”
With a delicate sniff, Roxanne indicates that she’s finished with the conversation, turning her body just slightly away from her fiancé and taking a drink of her water. I can see Andries clenching his fists on top of the table, and I’m worried that we’re headed to all out screaming and arguing if I don’t intervene.
“I’ll go with you,” I offer, not having anything else to do with my day, anyway. “It might be fun. I could take some pictures for Instagram.”
“I’ll go too,” Dan pops into the conversation for the first time, trying to diffuse the tension just like I am. “We’ll have a good time. How long until we leave?”
We make rough plans that come together quickly. I keep sneaking glances at Roxanne, who eventually rises from her chair and disappears into the house, not wanting to be involved with our itinerary creation since she isn’t going to Villa Lysis with us anyway. Andries notices but pretends he doesn’t. I’m his sister, though, and I can see the flash of hurt in his eyes all too clearly.
With our plans agreed on, we all split off from one another to get ready for our day trip. I feel a little uneasy with how strange breakfast felt between Andries and Roxie, but maybe a day apart will do them some good. I guess I’m completely lost in my own thoughts, though, because once I reach my suite and try to shut the door behind me, someone sticks their foot in the doorway to stop me.
I open it once more to Dan’s grinning face. “Can I come in?”
“No.” I try to shut the door, but he comes in anyway, pushing past me and going to sit on the edge of my bed. I roll my eyes, but continue to pack my bag.
“Roxanne and Andries seem to be very tense this morning, don’t you think?” he asks, and even though I don’t want to talk about it anymore, it will be good to compare notes with the only other person in the same situation I am.
“Yeah….” I nibble my lip, trying to organize my thoughts. “I think my brother knows about the scandal, honestly. The fact that he wants to visit a villa that used to be a poet’s self-chosen exile from France after a sex scandal is very telling to me. You know Andries…” I trail off, but Dan easily picks up on my train of thought.
“Yes, he’s all about dropping all these subtle hints, and going to Lysis to try and make a point is absolutely something he would do.” Dan laughs, but his heart isn’t really in it. “He’s testing us, Elise, I can feel it in my bones. What if we tell him the truth? It’d be sort of fitting telling him about Roxanne’s scandal in a villa that used to be an exile for a guy who ran away from one.”
I waver. “I don’t know… I think we should wait to see if he tells us first.”
“He won’t,” Dan insists. “This is a fucking test. I’ve already tried to lead him into confessing but he won’t.”
“I know!” I throw my hands in the air in frustration. “But Roxanne––”
Dan and I both jump when someone knocks at the door. “Are you two ready to go?” Andries says through the wood. “The driver is here, I messaged you both and neither of you answered.”
I shoot Dan a look, annoyed that my brother knows that we are in my room together, but tell Andries that we’ll be right out. Once I hear his footsteps retreating down the hallway, I sit on the bed next to Dan and put my head in my hands, taking a few deep breaths while he rubs my back.
“Please don’t blindside me and tell my brother without at least letting me know first,” I beg him, my eyes meeting his. “I still don’t think it’s the right call, but if you’ve got to do it, please give me a heads up.”
“We’re in this together, El,” he promises. “We’re both just doing our best, okay?”
Knowing that we can’t leave Andries waiting much longer, Dan and I head out to find him and the driver so we can head to Villa Lysis. My brother is already in the front seat, and he gives us a dismissive wave as we crawl into the back seat together.
“Figures that I would find the two of you alone in the same room,” Andries comments, and before I can complain Dan scoffs.
“Oh come off it, Andries, we were just talking.”
“I didn’t even ask anything,” he answers.
The awkwardness in the car is high, and our conversations with each other are stilted and rocky. I haven’t even had time to look into Villa Lysis, only volunteering so Andries didn’t have to go alone, meaning I don’t really know what to expect. With Dan and Andries talking about fencing, I decide to do a little research on our destination and see what there is to do once we arrive.
A few minutes into my search, I get a message from Roxanne, who must have just realized that the three of us had already left. The two of us haven’t really spoken directly since she tore into me yesterday morning, and I’m not quite ready to forgive her for the way she humiliated me in front of everyone. So when I see that Roxanne is actually asking me for help, it takes me off guard.
Roxanne: El, whatever you do, don’t tell him about Bar Rouge. I’m sorry for the harsh words I said yesterday but please don’t use your brother to get revenge on me.
I’m a little offended that she thinks I would manipulate Andries like that, but I guess she and I don’t have the best track record when it comes to treating each other decently. I don’t want to interrupt Dan’s conversation with my brother now that they are actually talking normally to one another, so I just sit my phone on Dan’s knee with Roxanne’s message open. He catches on, asking Andries a question that requires a detailed answer, and while he talks, Dan reads the message.
Groaning, Dan shakes his head in disagreement but doesn’t speak anything out loud. Instead, he gives me my device back and pulls out his own, typing up a message for me and sending it over.
Dan: Andries knows about it. He’s just waiting to see who will have the guts to deliver the news to him. I can’t keep lying to my best friend, El.
“It’s none of your business and you have no obligation to be the one to tell him,” I reply over text.
Dan: It is my business. He’s my best friend, and his happiness matters to me. He’s clearly not happy right now.